The university is experimenting with a two-week intensive semester in May that will allow students to earn three upper-division credits before the month finishes.

UAF is debuting what it calls "MAYmester" as part of its annual summer sessions courses. Six courses, including a core ethics course, are being offered from May 14 to 25.

"They're upper-division classes, they're taught like seminars, but students start the day after graduation," said Michelle Bartlett, the director of Summer Sessions.

The May courses are just part what UAF is offering students hanging around Fairbanks for the summer. More than 1,050 students have enrolled for courses during the summer so far, making up about 5,000 credit hours, Bartlett said. The university has scheduled 41 core courses for the summer.

"We're offering about 10 percent more courses than we did last summer," she said.

Taking courses in the summer has several advantages, according to Bartlett. The classes are smaller, which means a better student-to-faculty ratio. And students taking courses from June to August can finish courses that would usually take 15 weeks in six.

Out of state students also benefit thanks to reduced tution, Bartlett said. Starting last year, out-of-state students were allowed to pay in-state tuition for summer classes. Enrollment of students living outside of Alaska doubled as a result.

"The out-of-state students really took advantage of the in-state tuition last summer," she said. "So we were just really, really pleased."

Bartlett said students sticking around for the summer shouldn't expect to be bored. On June 8, NPR's "Talk of the Nation: Science Friday with Ira Flatow" visits campus.

In July, the university is hosting a book festival and the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.

And throughout the summer, students can watch free movies, including several Alfred Hitchcock classics.

And for students looking for a job, Bartlett said Summer Sessions will help students taking at least six credits to get a student job on campus.

"Students can even pay for tuition through payroll deduction," she said. "So they don't even need to front money."

Registration for May courses must be completed by May 11. Enrollment dates for other sessions varies depending on the time in the summer. For more information, visit http://www.uaf.edu/summer/.